The post Inspiration Ambassador Nicola C appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

The post Inspiration Ambassador Michelle appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

Sick & Tired of Feeling Sick & Tired Nicola Prinsloo

tells us about her fat loss journey so far…

Since my first appointment with Tabitha back in January 2020 there have been many changes, both physically and emotionally. I have had time to reflect and realise now how unhappy I was with myself. I have been able to rid myself of negativity and provide my mindset with a more positive approach to taking care of me. As with most mums we look after everyone else first and we take a back seat. Tabitha was and continues to be a motivator for this. At each visit she is so thrilled and excited to see the benefits of her expertise and this in turn helps me going forward.

I am not saying I hit rock bottom, but, due to self-neglect over the years, I had to now listen to my body if I was going to be of any help to those around me. I wanted to be present in my life and enjoy what life has to offer. I needed to be fit and healthy to do so, and not just exist.
I am 46 years old with lots of baggage, more than most I think (experiencing huge trauma that not everyone thankfully has had to face first-hand). I should at this stage point out that I have also had a fulfilling and rewarding life thus far with an incredible husband and 2 amazing boys. I am also extremely fortunate to have many glorious friends both close and further afield who are so different in their own ways but bring out many different sides to me.

My health/eating journey has been a somewhat private affair with some people having some insight to what I experience,but,overall Ido not generally share too much. That has changed a little now that I am feeling so much better – I just want everyone to do what I did and learn what I have learnt so far with the help and understanding from Tabitha.

To be honest I am sometimes judgemental (I am only human) of others when they try and dispel my newfound understanding of health and wellness. The judgement comes from a good place as I know if they followed my path, they would be so much healthier and possibly not need all the magic potions to help them feel better. I want them to understand that gut health is so important, and many medications mask the actual problem. I would love my friends and family and everyone for that matter to live long, healthy, and strong lives.

I have for many years experienced “tummy” issues. Even as a child I would suffer with nausea, vomiting and heart burn. I was born in N. Ireland and came to South Africa when I was around 8 years old. As a child in N. Ireland we generally ate what I would say is bland food. I was young so was not exposed too much to “fancy” eating habits. Since growing up in South Africa and living abroad for 5 years, lots of new foods became the norm. Some foods were delicious, nutritious, and left me feeling great, others not so much. But like a lot of us do, take a pill to fix the physical ailments as opposed to looking into why or what is making us feel this way.

Over the years I have experienced bouts of illness and have been hospitalised, had scans, blood tests, bowel samples taken etc. and not much else done about fixing or correcting what the underlying problem was.

Before starting this way of eating I experienced the following:

• Migraines
• Headaches
• Brittle nails
• Bloated tummy
• Candida
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Pelvic pain
• Fatigue
• Dull complexion
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Gas
• Hormonal issues

I am happy to say that I no longer suffer with most of these.

I have been hospitalised with what presents as gastro but did not stop there and doctors became baffled and ended updiagnosing a viral infection. When visiting my gynaecologists over the years I would often complain of pelvic pain – was told it is my bowel. I have been to GP’s and homeopaths and been given medications to help but this help was always short lived.

During the end of 2019 (around August/September) I started with what would become months of suffering with diarreha. This got to a point where it was back to the doctor. I had scans, bowel samples and blood tests and then sent home with medication. I then followed up and was told to see a Gastroenterologist. I found a specialist surgeon who I had seen before (due to heart burn – turns out I have little ulcers too). He carried out a gastroscopy. It was determined that I hadmicroscopic colitis as well as at this point a remarkably high white blood cell count.

To cut a long story short – was sent home with stomach inflammation medication and a steroid. I started looking into the steroid and decided this is not something I want to be using forever. Fortunate for me I met a lovely lady through a friend who suggested I see Tabitha.

Over time (prior to first appointment with Tabitha) I have been mindful of foods I like and those I do not. For me, I have realised that I am quite happy to not have meat in my diet. Prior to the start of my new journey I would include meat in all meals as this is what became the norm. However, all meat dishes would be disguised in a sauce of sorts. It did get me thinking about a vegetarian lifestyle – but the big question – what to eat, how to eat it, and would I still have enough protein in my diet. So, with these questions I just never bothered.

Once meeting Tabitha, I felt, THIS IS IT – SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO HELP ME

Our first consultation covered so much, and Tabitha really listened to what I had to say, and we discussed everything. What was wonderful for me was by the time I got home I had received an email outlining all we had discussed as well as a menu to follow for the first week. It helped so much as I was ready to face this as well as it provided not much thinking on my part. I was so tired and run down by my first appointment and Tabitha made this so easy for me to do. The only thing I thought strange was the amount of food I had to eat, and I was allowed to eat carbs!!! – after being brainwashed for so many years about having to eat less and cut out carbs, I was confused. Since listening to Tabitha and reading more accurate information I am now back to understanding my body and listening to its needs. With all the information out there for us to consume my own inner voice became silent.

I am now back to eating what I enjoy and NEED for ME!

As with most lifestyle changes or diets we generally either also want to lose or gain weight. In my case I wanted to lose weight alongside becoming healthier. Our priority was for me to become healthier but as a side benefit, I lost a lot of weight too. WIN, WIN!!!

Tabitha has made me smile again. I have energy again and no longer have that awful afternoon slump. Friends and family have noticed a difference and yes, with loads of questions. I have friends who have been exposed to our new way of eating and are now sharing pictures of their meals as they are so proud to show us.

I could ramble on about all the benefits, ha!ha!, but in closing I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Tabitha for reminding me what is important as well as giving me the bounce in my step back.

The post Inspiration Ambassador Nicola Prinsloo appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

SlimBake replaces the functionality of sugar normally lost when substituting sugar by an artificial sweetener in baking.
It ensures a golden brown colour, good crumb structure, soft mouth feel and no aftertaste.
SlimBake acts as a semi-fat replacer and 30-50% of the fat can be taken out of recipes of batter consistency and replaced with fat free milk, almond milk or yogurt.
SlimBake consists of polydextrose, lactitol, an anticaking agent and two heat stable non-nutrtive sweeteners, Cyclamate and Acesulfame K. Polydextrose is an indeigestible oligo-saccharide and i) is fermented in the colon where it acts as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and ii) significantly lowers the glycaemic index (GI) of the final
baked product. Lactitol is a sugar-alcohol which is only partially metabolised, releasing sugar more slowly into the bloodstream and resulting in a lower GI.
There are no health hazards linked to using SlimBake, however, because SlimBake behaves like fibre in the body,
excessive consumption may cause gastric discomfort (flatulence or a laxative effect).
A product of Tongaat Hulett

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

The post Bake your Cake and Eat It! appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

FAT to FIT Karabo Moroka

tells us about her fat loss journey so far…

Karabo’s Story…

“I have always loved exercising going to gym and mostly enjoyed aerobics. Despite being active my biggest challenge was my weight, not losing as much as I expected based on the amount of time I spent exercising and trying out so many diets to lose it. Few years ago my Dr informed me that I am insulin resistant which was the main reason I had challenges losing weight. I then started cutting down on carbs but continued to eat meat, dairy products thinking that this would help. Pheew! the struggle continued and I started getting frustrated not knowing what else to do.

About 3yrs ago, I had a problem with my ear and visited ENT (Dr Nyoka) who after examining me, we had a general chat about health, food etc. He said something that really made me to think deeper into how I want to enjoy life and the starting point for me was to make few changes and that point was to really look closely at my eating habits. He mentioned that if  I have ever considered seeing a dietician and I said yes but they are too expensive.

Even after this conversation I didn’t make an effort to see a dietician as advised, until after some time, I decided to contact Tabitha Hume, referral I got from Dr Nyoka because I realised I was sick and tired of complaining about my weight and not liking the way I looked.

“My Aha! Moment was when he said, think about this:

Is it not better to see a dietician now and pay for learning how to improve your health than to spend money on medication at a later stage. This was because if Insulin is not managed properly it develops into diabetes and the fortunate part is, it is reversible by good diet and exercise whereas diabetes is not reversible which will result in taking medication forever.”

I began my new journey when I had my first appointment with Tabitha. I went there saying to myself, if and only if this doesn’t work I give up. I am proud to say I couldn’t have made a better decision of my life. Tabitha literally schooled me about food huh, Yeh!!! Food. I felt like I was in a classroom because she took me on a journey teaching me about food. Which I immensely appreciate.

A few days later I came across this, someone posted on Instagram:

“One way to kill your confidence is to break the promises you make to yourself- even with the little things. If you tell yourself you are waking up at 6am then wake at 6am. You will begin to trust yourself, that you will do what you say. Be accountable to yourself, you deserve it”.

   So far since seeing Tabitha, after 6 weeks, I have lost 3.9kg and gradually gaining my confidence back because I have decided to keep the promises I make for myself…making best food choices, preparing them correctly and portion control. I am more energetic and loving it.

Now I can slowly envision myself confidently wearing a bikini which has always been my biggest dream somewhere in the Seychelles beaches. To the point I made above, because now I am taking accountability, I DESERVE IT!… #bikinibodyloading

After my first consultation with Tabitha, I was thinking if this is not going to help, I give up but I was excited wanting to make the change and more than anything prove to myself that I can do it.”

“I am pleasantly surprised because I still eat, actually I eat more than before and it is amazing that I still lose weight purely because of the best food choices I make.”

“Before Tabitha, I used to think not eating carbs will help because I started eating more protein but guess what it was still the wrong choices because of the fat content e.g  eggs, bacon, dairy products etc”

“This was the best decision ever. I feel light and have very quick and easy way of preparing my food. I always get excited to try out new recipes that Tabitha shared with me. I even realised that I have been buying things that I don’t need which  are detrimental to my health and contributed to my resistance to weight loss , i.e. oil, margarine, bread etc.”

“Thank you for helping me with my journey so far as it continues…

You inspire me more! I am so grateful” Karabo

The post Inspiration Ambassador Karabo Moroka appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

Tabitha Hume
Registered Dietician (S.A.)

Myth #1:     Fat free milk has lots of sugar added
It doesn’t. The current myths are twofold:
1. Anything that is fat free must be very high in sugar. Sometimes this is true, but definitely not all the time AT ALL. And not in milk. That’s fake news.
2. The other myth is that fat free milk has undergone a process which strips it of all its goodness and has added         all sorts of unhealthy chemicals to it. Again; rubbish. All that happens in the process to produce fat free milk is that the freshly pasteurized milk is put into a centrifuge (it’s spun around really fast and all the fat globules rise to the edge and are skimmed off, leaving everything except the fat in the milk). Yes, it does reduce the fat-soluble vitamins that are dissolved in the milk-fats, but you shouldn’t be relying only on milk to get those vitamins in the first place, so what’s the difference? Also, skim milk actually has MORE protein per serving than full cream milk, not less. So it has NOT had all the goodness taken out!  So, removing the saturated fats from full cream milk to make skim milk, means a slimmer, lower-cholesterol you with less risk of diabetes. All dairy, however, should be reduced or substituted with plant milks to reduce overall inflammation.

Myth #2:      Additives are harmful
No they aren’t. In fact, many additives are rather good for you! An example would be citric acid (a preservative) which aids in the absorption of iron from foods, and also acts as part of an anti-oxidant cascade with Vitamin C. The additives that are in our foods are really not that scary at all, if you know what they are, and who is consuming them. Sodium benzoate and sulphur dioxide, for instance, do need to be avoided by people with atopy (asthma and eczema). MSG should be avoided by post-menopausal salt-sensitive hypertensive women. People with hypoglycaemia or binge-eating disorder should reduce artificial sweeteners of all types. But if you have none of the above disorders, then these additives are nothing but helpful in keeping your food fresh for you and allowing healthy eating to be a little easier with less wastage. Look, we’d all love to grow our own organic veg in our back gardens, but practically speaking, this isn’t always an option, so rather than buying very fat-laden take-aways when you are too tired to cook, it would still be better to use packeted Cook in Sauces with lean protein and veg. You see, being too puritan with regards these additives leaves you with only one choice: to cook a full meal. Yes, this is what we are supposed to do. But in this day and age, there aren’t that many households where one of the spouses remains at home to cook and clean every day. As a result, both adults arriving home at 19h00 with unbathed children and headaches often necessitates quick results. Use the Cook in Sauce with a few additives in them! At least you will stay slim, heart-healthy and well-nourished with a balanced meal, rather than your all-or-nothing dogma leaving ONLY a take-away option as viable. Keep your head on straight….
Please also remember that it is very important to find practical ways to eat low-fat, low GI, regularly enough and with PLENTY of fruits and veg. Getting THIS right is enough of a challenge, believe me… most people don’t get it all right. But once you’ve got this down to perfection, then you can become the puritan working on additive-free organic eating. Yes, it’s important. But work on the big issues first.

Myth #3:      Have more fibre for IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome is an inflammatory disorder characterised by windiness, bloating, discomfort, diarrhoea and/or constipation. Very often, the misguided approach by health gurus is to increase fibre. Unfortunately, this only makes it worse. Then, with worsening symptoms, it is unscientifically concluded that the person has GLUTEN INTOLERANCE. 9 time out of 10 this is a misdiagnosis due to mismanagement of IBS. The right approach is to isolate WHICH fibre types are appropriate and which are not, specifically for IBS. Going on a traditionally ‘healthy’ diet with plenty of wholegrains may just be the worst thing for an IBS sufferer! Bear in mind, too, that many IBS problems arise from insufficient carbohydrates in the diet resulting in too little volume in the stool and poor probiotic health to regulate digestion. Fibre and water are NOT the only aspects to tackle with IBS!

Myth #4:      Sugar causes diabetes
There is much research showing how people that consume a huge amount of sugary foods (usually in place of normal, healthful and nutritious foods) are fatter than those who eat less sugary foods. Also, it is shown that diets

high in sugary colddrinks are strongly linked to the development of Type 2 Diabetes. True. But unfortunately, you cannot just take that point alone. And here is where the problem with understanding research correctly comes in. You see, most diets that include a high colddrink intake are also coupled with a very high junkfood intake (translated as a high fat intake). People who are conscious low-fat and healthy eaters don’t usually include large quantities of colddrinks and sweeties. However, they also don’t eat large quantities of deep-fried foods / cheese and bacon-doused Southern Fried Chicken and deep fried chips. So, when you look closely at the research linking the diabetes with high sugar intake, you will notice that NONE of them attribute diabetes to sugar as a causative culprit per se. They note that high sugar AND high fat diets (in the ABSENCE of sufficient wholegrains and fruits and vegetables) are linked to Type 2 Diabetes. You CANNOT attribute this complex disease to just one culprit. In fact, subsequent biochemical research has shown unequivocally that diets high in fats directly cause decreased insulin sensitivity (which is the precursor to diabetes). As much as tons of sugar causes the pancreas to work extra hard and is not good at all, it doesn’t actually have this effect on the insulin receptors, leading to diabetes. In short; too much fat causes the onset of Type 2 diabetes, not too much sugar. Not saying tons of sugar is OK. It really isn’t. It’s just not the primary problem in the development of diabetes. Too much fat is.

Myth #5:      Tea has more caffeine in it than coffee
No it doesn’t!!! Where on earth does this drivel come from?!!
High caffeine intake is closely linked to anxiety, high blood pressure, certain blood glucose issues and liver problems. So advice to discourage high intakes of coffee has been skewed a little. Many people seem to have become very excitable about completely cutting out caffeine (which is a good step but often unnecessary). You see, the general advice was “Cut down on your coffee intake to be healthier and avoid spikes in anxiety and blood pressure etc”. This means CUT DOWN. And unless you have medical issues that need addressing, we are not saying “CUT OUT COMPLETELY AND BE TERRIFIED OF IT”. You see, if something is not broken, don’t fix it!
But there will always be those conspiracy theorists who hear the message ‘cut down on caffeine’, take it and run with flags screaming “Take away all caffeine, even in tea! It’s evil and will kill you”. Now, tea DOES still contain some caffeine, but on average it is about one-fifth of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee. So, if you have very bad high blood pressure, cutting OUT coffee would be a good idea. Having tea would be better. But because there is still a little caffeine in tea, having 15 cups of tea per day would add up and not be so good for this patient. But, the theorists wave their flags even higher and start fearmongering people, saying not that tea still has a little caffeine, but actually HAS MORE CAFFEINE THAN COFFEE… oh dear.
One wonders….

Myth #6:     Black chocolate is healthy
The wonderfully indulgent cocoa bean and its resultant cocoa powder (same as cacao), contains a fair amount of feel-good chemicals inside it, and it also contains a nice amount of anti-oxidants (things that help to prevent cancer). This is why dark chocolate (chocolate made with MORE cocoa powder than its milk-chocolate counterpart) will have MORE anti-oxidants in it. However, this does not give licence to encourage people to actively INCLUDE dark chocolate in the diet on a regular basis. It is still prudent to see it as a treat. One would look to other foods to obtain anti-oxidants in higher dosages than to eat lots of dark chocolate to try and get enough from there
IF you want a little treat, dark chocolate is a nice indulgence that makes you feel good as well as having the added little benefit of containing a SMALL amount of cancer-preventing chemicals. However, if you want to lose fat, for instance, remember that dark chocolate has a lot more fat in this than milk chocolate J. And a lot of dark chocolate may end up with a cancer-free but fat person. Not necessarily a great outcome.

Myth #6:      Red wine lowers cholesterol.
Red wine is lovely, delicious and is a perfectly acceptable addition to a well-balanced diet. So long as it’s kept in moderation. Over a certain amount, it suddenly tips and becomes unacceptable and causes damage (both short-and long-term) to the body. Now, a few years ago, scientists isolated that there was a wonderful chemical called resveratrol found in red wine, in particular. It is a type of anti-inflammatory chemical, and large amounts of resveratrol has been linked to reduction in cardiovascular disease. However, what was not reported by excited reporters, was that the amount of red wine that one would have to consume in order to derive SUFFICIENT resveratrol to make a difference in heart health, is so much that it would cause many other problems in the body before it lowers the cholesterol! So, when we say, “A little red wine in the diet is acceptable and may even contain a few things that contribute small health benefits” we are NOT saying “Drink lots of wine because it will lower your cholesterol”!! It shows that you can hear what you want to hear, right?

Myth #7:      White bread is so bad for you. In fact, it’s like POISON to the body!
Traditional, white bread in the supermarkets is made from wheat flour, which happens to be a quick-release carbohydrate (spiking blood glucose levels and taxing the pancreas). This white bread traditionally has very little fibre in it as well. This means that if one of the main sources of fibre in one’s diet comes from bread alone (this is true for many people), then having white bread instead of wholegrain bread, will lead to a deficiency in fibre which causes health problems. However, just because it is ABSENT of fibre, it doesn’t mean that eating it will actually HARM you. It just means that you now need to look for fibre in other foods that you eat. Also, remember that although quick-release carbohydrates like white bread spike your blood glucose levels and so should be avoided by diabetics, BROWN AND WHOLWHEAT BREAD ARE ALSO QUICK-RELEASE CARBOHYDRATES, spiking blood glucose levels.
So, if you are looking for fibre for colon health and cholesterol reduction, have wholewheat bread.
If, however, you are looking at blood glucose control for diabetes and weight loss, both white and wholewheat bread are discouraged, because they are both quick-release.
This is where LOW GI bread comes in. Low GI bread is normal bread, which has been mixed with a very healthy type of ‘nature’s superglue’ which changes it to become slow-release, thus stabilising the release of glucose into the blood. And it doesn’t matter if that LOW GI bread is white, brown or wholewheat. It is still low GI and so therefore acceptable for diabetics.

Myth #8:              Pasta is fattening.
“Mamma Mia!” You talka da rubbeesh! Again it depends on what KIND of pasta. You see, original, Italian pasta, cooked al dente and served with a well-cooked sauce is LOW GI and does NOT cause fat gain! This is because proper Italian Durum Wheat Semolina is a species of wheat which behaves very differently in the body to normal wheat flour. So, even white pasta that is made from DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA is a slow-release (or LOW GI carbohydrate) and will not cause spikes in insulin or cause fat gain. Cheaper versions of pasta, however, which are made from wheat flour (even if it’s wholewheat flour) are quick-release (HIGH GI). These spike the blood glucose level when eaten, causing more insulin to be released, and this causes fat gain if fats are eaten in the meal (like a creamy bacon and cheese sauce!). But the real Italians have got it right. Eat Italian pasta as part of a diabetic or weight loss diet but make sure the sauce is very low in fat!

Myth #9:      Coconut oil is good for you.
Any food in the whole world has good and bad attributes.
Everything.
But sometimes people get caught up and believe a food is ONLY good.
The coconut oil ‘cures-all-ills’ fad has done this, despite dieticians warning everyone that things aren’t as simple as they seem. Coconut oil is revered because it does not oxidize when heated to very high temperatures, like other oils do. However, this health attribute really only applies to those who re-use oil over and over again, day after day in their cooking. If you heat up coconut vs olive oil once for shallow-frying some onions in it, there really is very little difference. The other positive attribute that has run wild comes from one research paper showing a group of people who ate plenty of coconut oil and who had higher “GOOD” cholesterol (HDL) than others. This is a very good attribute indeed. But unfortunately selective hearing has caused people to now take this and blow it way out of proportion, encouraging it’s use in everything, to cure ALL health problems including cancer. Unfortunately, if you look a little closer at the research, and the replicated studies after this one, you will notice that although the HDLs do increase in these people, their bad cholesterol also increased, as did their body fat percentage. Interesting how people take one fact out of context and suddenly create an all-encompassing health rule; “Coconut oil is good for you!”.

These 10 myths are just a small sample of MANY, MANY myths that sadly exist. They are like broken telephones. A study emerges with a bit of potentially positive news in it. Scientists take this and work on more studies to see how much, with whom and how significant the positive attribute is. Non-scientists hear the potentially good news and speak of it to others; in a simpler and more confirmed manner. Then, the rest of the population get completely carried away with novelty of a small amount of good news, and manage to ignore what they don’t want to hear and put it on a pedestal for all to worship as the new ‘diet gospel’.
What’s more, the individual who ‘exposed the well-hidden truth to the vulnerable public’ is often revered as a hero and prophet; apparently whistle-blowing on a health industry that loves keeping people sick.
Oh dear. Qualified dieticians are despairing.

Who to believe, you ask?

Always see if the health news you are reading (and maybe believing) is written by a REGISTERED DIETICIAN. You’ll get the full picture. Not the sparkly fool’s gold that we all WANT to believe.

See my books for easy recipes that are quick, delicious and healthy (but often taste more indulgent than you’d believe!)

Or Follow me on Facebook (Tabitha Hume – Clinical Dietician) for daily news, cooking ideas and motivation!

10 Myths Dieticians are Tired of Debunking (print this article)

The post Pseudoscience Dieticians Need to Explain Away appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

The post Nutrition Interviews on Northwest FM appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

The post Sunday Times “Health Times” (Winter 2018) appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

1. Eat more plants!

2. Eat much less animal-based fats (saturated fats). Any fat that comes from an animal is linked to cardiovascular disease and inflammatory stress in the body. So, full cream dairy (or even a lot of low fat dairy), cheeses, chicken skin, butter, lard, fatty meat and bones (e.g. shin bones) increase your risk of cancer. Unfortunately, some plant oils are also saturated and have the same effect: coconut oil and palm kernel oil are two of the most well-known of these oils. Rather use olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil or avocado oil.

3. Don’t take huge doses of vitamins and supplements to prevent cancer. Research has shown that taking very high doses of ‘supplemental’ antioxidants is NOT linked to increased protection against cancers. In fact, very high megadoses of some vitamins can cause more harm than good. Meet your antioxidant needs by following point #1.

4. Cut smoking. There are no positive attributes to smoking. It just kills. And, most smokers don’t like eating fruit. Double whammy.

5. Increase exercise. The trick is to hit the top of the upside-down U-curve: too little exercise is associated with disease and harm. However, too MUCH exercise (over-training and too intense) is just as harmful. Learning what is right for your body type, age, weight and fitness level is imperative to exercise at a perfect level for maximum health benefits. Ask your local Biokineticist.

6. Start moving away from all animal products. We all know the extremely strong link between processed meats and cancer. However, research has now shown the link between all inflammatory disease (including cancer) and amount of animal products are eaten (including the new ‘bone broth’ fad. The benefits are unfounded in research and the practice simply pushes up the amount of animal-based product in a lifestyle that is ALREADY too high in animal foods). The trick is NOT to suddenly turn vegan in one day. This will be too difficult to sustain and often mistakes are made because too little is understood about what is balanced in veganism.

However, what I advise my patients is to follow 2 main premises:

• Where possible, replace animal products with plant ones (e.g. use soya milk in porridge, instead of dairy. Or use vegan protein replacers, such as the Fry’s chicken-style burger patties instead of real chicken burgers). Plant-based protein substitutes have come a VERY long way in terms of flavour and authenticity.
• Bit by bit convert meals to vegan meals. For instance, the “No Meat on Mondays” campaign has taken the world by storm and is a great way to start exploring the wonderful options available. With just one day a week, you have already cut your cancer risk from animal products by 14%. Pretty good, I’d say! Watch my growing library of vegan recipe videos on YouTube, for some inspiration!

7. Cut down on alcohol. Yes, red wine does contain anti-oxidants such as resveratrol. But the amount that would need to be consumed in order to have the resveratrol benefits would be outweighed by the carcinogenic effects of overdoing the alcohol. Moderation is always the key. And having 4 tots of alcohol a week won’t really make a dent in your health. But having more? Fun, but not healthy!

8. Eat loads of beans, chick peas and lentils. This one is simple. They are plant-based, very high in protein and the fibre and nutrients in them reduce the incidence of many disorders including cancer risk, cholesterol problems, poor gut health, colon cancer, blood pressure and gout, amongst others. If they make you particularly ‘musical’, increase the volumes you have slowly and daily. And check your probiotics.

9. Take probiotics! These are the fabulously vital little ‘good’ bacteria that are supposed to live in our gastrointestinal tract. For 100s of years, humans have not lived with fridges, and so have consumed large amounts of bacteria from fermented and bacteria-filled foods. Now we refrigerate and irradiate everything, we can’t get enough of these little miracles, and so BAD bacteria build up and create wind, bloating, cramping, IBS etc. Help is at hand with home-grown Kefir kits of simply good quality probiotic supplements which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and cancer.

10. Have brightly-coloured foods. Many foods contain potent antioxidants, especially those with very bright or dark colours. Foods like broccoli, spinach and kale are super, as are berries, chillies and peppers. Bright orange veggies such as butternut, pumpkin and carrots also have powerful antioxidants, but remember that the beta-carotene found in carrots is MUCH MORE BIOAVAILABLE if cooked!

11. Eat Brassica vegetables as often as possible. The brassicas have a magic substance in them called Glutathion which is a primary liver detoxifier. So, the more cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts you eat, the less risk you have of developing cancer.

12. Reduced intake of fizzy cold-drinks. Not only does the ‘fizz’ leach calcium out of bones leading to osteoporosis, but the excess intake of concentrated sugar replaces good food and overworks many organs in your body.

Water. Water. Water.
It’s easy.

See my online books for easy recipes that are quick, delicious and healthy (but often taste more indulgent than you’d believe!)

Learn more... about plant-based eating and healthy food.

Follow my Facebook business page; Tabitha Hume – Clinical Dietician for weekly hints and tips

The post 12 Commandments to Prevent Cancer appeared first on Tabitha Hume.

As a parent, the fear of your teen developing an eating disorder is both real, and warranted, in the modern world.

I’ve included here some clear and simple points to look out for in your child/teen/pre-adult, that may just help open a dialogue and catch a developing problem early.

Eating disorders usually start in early adolescence and develop largely in secret. This is may be due to two reasons:

the sufferer is often ashamed of the disorder (or being ‘labelled’ as crazy), andthe sufferer believes that this is the only way for him/her to reach the goal s/he is aiming for, and if anyone discovers the issue and intervenes, they will be forced to get ‘fat’ again.

Body-shaming is the new black.

Even more concerning is that currently, there is a popular sentiment amongst teens (girls, especially) that if you are ashamed of your body the way it is (even if slim), then this is ‘good’ and ‘humble’. Being body-confident and NOT dieting is seeing as ‘arrogant’.

This misplaced belief system leads to the teen starting to diet in order to fit in, and so immediately-available information is sought primarily from other teens, the internet and social media. Very rarely, professional dietetic advice is sought, and so fad diets are the first port-of-call.

These fads are usually immediate-gratification diets which are severely restrictive and completely unscientific in their approach.

The result of commencing these ‘diet plans’ is immediate weight loss followed by ‘entry’ into the weight race (as I call it).

The ‘weight-race mentality’ that this kind of starving brain is afflicted with, is driven by obedience to these single-minded obsessions:

‘as long as I’m eating less and hungryas long as I’m losing weight,

I’m ‘winning’.

At what point is it an ‘eating disorder’?

And this ongoing fight against natural hunger to survive, escalates to pathological efforts to attain just that: winning against the body’s natural hunger instincts (which are demonised by the sufferer).

Depending on many factors, the dieter will move on to either:

A: Relenting to the mounting and desperate need for over-compensating feeding habits (bingeing) in order to ‘make up’ for previous starvation efforts. This can rapidly lead to purging efforts as the result of enormous guilt for ‘losing’ to natural desires. (Binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa)

OR:

B: Realising that the natural survival drive to eat is so strong that unusually drastic and pathological measures are required to maintain restriction. (anorexia nervosa).

What can I do?

Here are some questions you can ask if you are suspecting an eating disorder:

“Are you unhappy with your eating behavior?”

“Are you worried about your weight or your food?”

“Does your weight affect your feeling of self-worth?”

“Do you worry about your figure?”

“Do you eat in secret?”

“Do you vomit when you feel uncomfortably full?”

“Are you worried because sometimes you can’t stop eating?”

Alarmingly, many of these questions may be answered with a ‘yes’ in teens, due to the current popularity of being ‘expected’ to  dislike one’s body and live in perpetual restriction. However, as a parent, start this conversation, especially if you notice withdrawal and a change of temperament.

How is it diagnosed by a professional?

The current ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are as follows:

Actual body weight at least 15% below expected weight, or body mass index 17.5 or less (in adults).Weight loss is caused by the avoidance of high-calorie foods and at least one of the following:Self-induced vomitingSelf-induced purgingExcessive exerciseUse of appetite suppressants and/or diureticsDistorted body image as a specific psychological disorderEndocrine disorder, manifest in the female as amenorrhea (cessation of periods) and in the male as a loss of libidoIf onset is prepubertal, the puberty in boys and girls may be delayed (growth ceases; in girls the breasts do not develop)

In a 2011 study conducted by Stephan Herpertz, it was shown in 84 patients with diagnosed anorexia nervosa that 21 years years later, 50% had recovered, but a staggering 15% had died from anorexia-related causes. This warrants increased concern and education of parents in order to increase the likelihood of early intervention and treatment.

ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa (F 50.2)

The constant obsession with eating and the overwhelming desire for food leads to episodes of eating large amounts of food in short time periods.There are efforts made to reduce the effect of eating foods perceived as fattening in the form of self-induced vomiting and other purging techniques, alternating episodes of calorie restriction, using appetite suppressants, thyroid preparations or diuretics. People with diabetes may refrain from using their insulin treatment.There is an intense fear of becoming fat, which leads to the desire to reach a specific body weight much lower than is considered normal or healthy for height and age.In many cases, the bulimia follows an episode of anorexia nervosa, although the period of time between the two disorders may vary considerably.

Diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder

Recurring episodes of binge eating. The two characteristics of a binge eating episode are:Eating a much larger amount of food than most people would consider normal under similar circumstances and within the same time frame (eating may continue for several hours).While eating, there is a feeling of loss of control over the amount of food or type of food being consumed.Binge eating episodes are related to at least three of the following:Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.Eating large quantities of food when not even hungry.Eating noticeably faster than is considered normal.Eating alone due to embarrassment of overeating.Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after a binge.There is obvious distress concerning binge eating behavior.On average, binge eating takes place twice weekly, and has done so for 6 months.There are no recurring efforts to compensate for binge eating, such as purging or excessive exercise. The disorder occurs at times other than during episodes of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Why do eating disorders develop?

Eating disorders are strongly associated with other co-morbidities, such as anxiety, chronic depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder. Treating one disorder without treating the accompanying problems will lead to a poorer outcome. This is why an integrated treatment team is necessary. However, in vulnerable teens, exposure to incorrect advice plays an increasing role in the development of the disorders.

Considering the prevalence of unqualified diet ‘quacks’ promoting diet fads online, the availability for dangerous advice*** is much more accessible than individualised advice from a registered dietician. This plunges the teen into taking steps that are doomed to succeed initially only to fail repeatedly and thus lower the self-esteem sufficiently for extreme measures to be taken. The combination of a starved mind that is no longer able to think clearly (the physiological changes in the body and brain that accompany caloric restriction drive aggression and food-obsession) and the repeated failures in willpower drive secrecy, obsession and pathology.

It is imperative for parents to highlight what professional should be sought for what problem. If it is gynaecological, seek advice and treatment from a registered and qualified gynaecologist. If it is dietary, seek help from a registered and qualified dietician.

With increased research into this mystifying disorder, recovery statistics are improving. But treatment efficacy depends on the co-operation of the vital players in this team: the psychiatrist, the psychologist, the dietician and the parents.

If concerned, contact a practitioner with eating disorder experience, and a professional assessment can catch a problem before it becomes entrenched and more difficult to treat.

***In my professional opinion, dangerous advice refers to:

diets that are popular because they are marketed well (it is illegal for registered dieticians to solicit-advertise) and enticingly; diets that are designed with a goal in mind (rapid and effective weight loss) but with no thought/knowledge to the physiological dangers associated with eating this way; diets that are designed around calories and macronutrients only; with no consideration of the psychiatric effects of eating this way. Mostly, this is due to lack of training/knowledge in the diet ‘guru’and although unintentional, is still harmful nevertheless.Unsustainable diets that focus on immediate and short-term weight loss, but which lead to long-term metabolic irregularities.

References:

World Health Organization (1992) Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: WHO; The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Peterson CB, Mitchell JE, Engbloom S, Nugent S, Mussell MP, Crow S J, Thuras P. Self-help versus therapist-led group cognitive-behavioral treatment of binge eating disorder at follow-up. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2001;30:363–374.

National Institute of Clinical Excellence Eating Disorders. London: British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists; 2004. National Clinical Practice Guideline No CG6.

American Psychiatric Association (APA) Disorders, revised. New York: American Psychiatric Association; 2006. Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating.

Vocks S, Tuschen-Caffier B, Pietrowsky R, Rustenbach SJ, Kersting A, Herpertz S. Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments for binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord. 2010;43:205–217. [PubMed]

Hartmann A, Weber S, Herpertz S, Zeeck A. Psychological Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa. A Meta-Analysis of Standardized Mean Change Psychother Psychosom. 2011;80:216–226. [PubMed]

Zipfel S, Löwe B, Reas DL, Deter HC, Herzog W. Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: lessons from a 21-year follow-up study. Lancet. 2000 Feb 26;355(9205):721-2.

Herpertz S, Hagenah U, et al. The diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011 Oct;108(40):678-85.

The post Does she really have a problem with food? appeared first on Tabitha Hume.